وَلي عليهِ أَدامَ اللَّهُ دَولتَهُ

وَلي عليهِ أَدامَ اللَّهُ دَولتَهُ

رَسْمٌ سَفَرْتُ بهِ والوَقْتُ قَد أَزِفَا

رَسْمٌ سَفَرْتُ بهِ والوَقْتُ قَد أَزِفَا

And he owes me—may God perpetuate his rule—

My friend, may God prolong his rule,

A stipend with which I journeyed, as the time drew near.

I have traveled with this idea, and the time has come close,

والمَنحلُ الآنَ قد غنَّى فَأَرْقصني

والمَنحلُ الآنَ قد غنَّى فَأَرْقصني

أَو قالَ مَن قالَ إنَّ الشَّيْخَ قد خَرِفَا

أَو قالَ مَن قالَ إنَّ الشَّيْخَ قد خَرِفَا

And the apiary has now sung and set me dancing;

The bee has now sung, so make me dance,

Or someone said, “The old man has indeed grown senile.”

Or has someone said that the old man is senile,

والقَمْحُ أعْشَقُ منهُ أَسْمراً ذهبيَّ الل

والقَمْحُ أعْشَقُ منهُ أَسْمراً ذهبيَّ الل

ونِ صَيَّرني شَوْقي لَهُ دَنِفَا

ونِ صَيَّرني شَوْقي لَهُ دَنِفَا

And of wheat I adore a brown kind, golden

And I love the wheat, blond, golden,

In color; my longing for it has made me lovesick.

And my longing has made me cling to it,

وَلَوْ رَأَيتُ بُدُورَ التِّمِّ طالعِةً

وَلَوْ رَأَيتُ بُدُورَ التِّمِّ طالعِةً

وَدَدْتُها أَصبَحتْ في قُفَّتي رُغُفَا

وَدَدْتُها أَصبَحتْ في قُفَّتي رُغُفَا

And were I to see full moons rising,

And if I saw the full moons rising,

I would wish them turned into loaves in my basket.

I would love them, and they would become bread in my bag.